Seats for canoes have traditionally spanned the full width of the canoe and have been attached to the gunwales of the canoe. These seats are comfortable for sitting, but result in a relatively high center of gravity, reducing stability. To improve stability and control of the canoe, canoeists frequently kneel. Moving from a sitting position to a kneeling position requires a substantial effort, since the legs must be tucked under the seat. In the kneeling position, the canoeist rests on the edge of the seat and this position can cause discomfort; additionally, having legs under the seat can cause a risk of entrapment if the canoe capsizes.
Pedestal seats, disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,257,590 and 5,320,060, have in part overcome the problem of discomfort in the kneeling position; however, they do not provide for an alternate sitting position. Also, pedestal seats are not well suited for collapsible canoes, since attachment of the seat to the canoe can be difficult and the seat itself is a bulky unit to transport.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,894 teaches the use of a seat which provides for adjustment of the longitudinal position of the seat in order to adjust the trim of a canoe, which is helpful in providing greater control of the canoe. The seat of the '894 patent has a saddle for support of the user which is slidably mounted to a brace and can be locked at incremental positions along the brace. The brace is connected at either end to the thwarts of the canoe, and the saddle thus provides only one position for support of the user. This position appears to be a compromise position which allows sitting or kneeling, but which does not appear ideally suited for either, and certainly does not provide for substantially lowering the center of gravity of the user for increased stability. Additionally, because the seat must be connected to the thwarts of the canoe, the device is not well suited to use in a collapsible canoe.